Carton clips of the type utilized to hold open the flaps of a regular slotted carton while such is being filled are well known and may take the form of those devices shown by the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,375,374; 2,582,502; 2,801,453; and 2,950,514. Such clips, once utilized, must be stored for subsequent reuse or thrown away, and in either case are used solely for the purpose indicated, i.e., to maintain the carton flaps open. It is also known to utilize separate clips to maintain closure flap portions of such cartons in a closed position, either permanently or temporarily. Such clips may take the form as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,023. Until now the temporary maintenance of closure flaps in an open loading position and the subsequent closure thereof either temporarily or permanently has required the use of separate clips for these purposes thus requiring that separate inventories be maintained.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a clip structure of novel and useful configuration which can be utilized to maintain closure flaps of a standard carton in a temporary but secure closed position.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a carton clip of unique configuration which may not only serve to maintain standard cartons in closed position but which alternatively may be used to maintain adjacent closure flaps of such cartons in an open loading position, thus eliminating the need for separate and different carton clips to independently perform both functions.
Such objects and those that may be apparent hereinafter are accomplished by the provision of a clip having a pair of coplanar wings spaced from each other at forward portions thereof and interconnected at base portions thereof, a longitudinally orientated leg connected thereto at said base portions, such leg disposed between and preferably projecting substantially beyond the forward terminal portions of said wings in such manner that the under portions of said wings and the upper portions of said leg cooperatively form respectively first and second carton contacting surfaces whereby different portions of said carton may be disposed between such surfaces so as to alternatively maintain opposed side closure flaps in a closed position or maintain adjacent closure flaps of said carton in an open position.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawing.